3 Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your Marketing Agency

 

So you hire a marketing agency to help you rebrand your image and design a modern website. You’re not entirely sure which direction you’d like your project to go and find it easier to simply leave the decisions up to the marketing experts, giving only a vague description along with creative freedom.

Have you ever been in this scenario? Then you know how this is likely going to end up.

The project has started and you’re excited! You have the perfect idea and just gained a team of dedicated experts to bring it to fruition! What could possibly go wrong? In concept, this truly is as close to the perfect recipe as one could get, yet time and again we have seen this perfect synergy somehow fail.

Luckily, I have been in the position of a client, where I commissioned a fellow graphic designer to rebrand my own personal website, but also have my own experience as a Web Designer here at CEA. Thanks to this duality, I have some unique insight to offer to this conundrum. Here are 3 insights that may help to smoothen the process between conceptualizing an idea and bringing it to light.

 

1. Develop A Creative Brief: It’s necessary

• Outline the scope of work and give as many details as you can to avoid multiple revisions and driving up cost. This will save you a great deal of development time and thusly a great deal of money.

 

• Provide as much detail and direction as possible to avoid ambiguity. Left with little direction or given absolute creative freedom, you may end up disappointed with the end result. Why? One man’s vision is another mans nightmare.

 

• Communicate your ideas to the artists and web developers behind the scenes to ensure everyone involved on the project is on the same page.

 

2. Keep Ongoing Communication: It’s Important

• The responsibility of being a happy client does not rest solely on the shoulders of the marketing agency. In fact, a great deal of responsibility lies with the client themselves.

 

• It is vitally important to designate a key decision maker within your organization to manage conflicting opinions and keep in constant contact with the marketing firm.

 

• This individual manages change in the account including charges. It is best to address changes early on, and keep all parties “in the know” as to the current status of the project, and whether or not these issues have caused the scope to change.

 

• Ongoing communication helps to meet target dates and to keep the project going with a clear goal in mind. I cannot tell you how often I’ve had to wait and wait for hours, sometimes days, even weeks for a client to get back to me. As you can imagine, this lack of steady communication greatly impacts the project.

 

3. Determine Your Resources: Who & What Is Needed?

• As a web developer, I cannot stress this enough. Client, it is your responsibility to provide a means to access the required resources necessary for the project. Take for example, if you were commissioning an agency to create for you an e-commerce website.

 

• Web developers will require content to fully put this website together. Do you have a means to provide product images and organized product details for the item you are marketing? How about informational content for pages, or rather, SEO optimized copy for your new website?

 

• Details such as these are vital to the well being of the project and you will need to designate people responsible for the individual pieces of the project.

 

I understand this may seem like a lot to ask of a client. Your time is valuable, and that’s why I believe the above tips will help you to better interact with an agency, and create higher quality creative. Take my word for it; you will save time, money, and effort in the long run!

 

Challenge yourself! Put these 3 techniques into practice with your next project and reap the rewards!

 

Want some more advice?

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